Cross My Heart
by DrowningxInxSapphire
Summary: *Last in Trilogy* Sonny leaves to film a movie in New Zealand, leaving her friends and boyfriend, Chad, behind. With Sonny gone, new romances begin to bloom and drama ensues. "Absense makes the heart grow fonder," ....doesn't it?
1. Stupid Suitcase

_Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm back!! That's right, with the third and last story of the trilogy! I'm so excited about it, but honestly and truthfully, and I swear on my life, this chapter made me cry. No lies, I was listening to sad songs the whole time, and I think that's why._

_Anyway, I hope you like it. Enjoy while it lasts, because, well, it IS the last._

_**Random Advice of the Day**__**: If you see raccoons crossing the street in front of you, don't chase them. They are very angry animals.**_

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing, unfortunately. Although, this chapter. Phew, be prepared with tissues man. _

* * *

His blue eyes took in the sight before him. Every blink tugged at his heart strings, and it felt like his world was crashing down on him. He tried to hold back tears with every item she placed neatly in her suitcase. His shoulder ached from leaning against the door frame for so long. His arms were crossed, protecting his heart. But from what? From breaking? It was too late for that.

Chad Dylan Cooper's heart had never been truly broken. It's been dented, played around with. But his heart never broke. He was stronger than that. Until he met Sonny. And now…his sapphire eyes stung with sharp tears. His throat was closing, and his heart beat faster and faster as she moved around her dressing room. Her suitcase was poised on the couch, filled with her things.

He hated that suitcase. It was encouraging her to leave him. It was just sitting there, wide open for her to put things in. It was helping her leave. And soon, both that stupid suitcase and his love would be in New Zealand, without him. That suitcase, carrying Sonny Munroe's beloved belongings, was going with her. And he wasn't.

Chad tore his eyes from the suitcase and they focused on the girl. Her brunette hair swung behind her and she moved from place to place, and her brown eyes scanned the room anxiously. Then she turned to Chad.

"Am I forgetting anything?" she wondered aloud, tapping her finger to her chin.

"Yes," Chad said, inching closer to her. Sonny glanced up and raised her eyebrows. "Me," he said.

Sonny sighed, taking her boyfriend's hands in hers. "Chad, you know I wish you could come," she said. "But I'll only be there for a few months, and I'll be coming back for Christmas, which is next month."

Chad's eyes were fixed on that stupid suitcase. "I'm sure I could fit in there if I curled up really tight," he said to himself.

"You know I'll miss you," she said as Chad turned back to face her. Her heart sank in her chest when she saw the look in his eyes. His eyes, as sparkly and wonderful they were, were just filled with sadness. She thought she saw tears appearing at the edges, but he blinked them back.

Suddenly, he pulled her in a sweet embrace. "Please, don't leave," he mumbled into her hair. This time, Sonny's eyes were filling with tears. She hugged him tight as he stroked her hair. At this moment, both Sonny and Chad realized that this was one of the last times they would be together like this for a month or two. That was when one single tear escaped Sonny's eye.

She sniffed and Chad rubbed her back. "I don't want you to go," he whispered in her ear. The touch of his lips to her skin sent tingles down her spine, and she knew she'd miss this with all of her heart.

"I don't want to go either," she said, pulling away and wiping her eyes. "But I have to, you know that."

"Why is that again?" Chad asked with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood.

"We need the money, Chad. My family needs it. _So Random!_ was enough to get my mother and I through for a while, but this movie could maybe pay for a house, instead of a crappy apartment. And maybe I could send some to the rest of my family in Wisconsin." She began packing again, this time going through her drawers for any more clothes she thought she would need in New Zealand.

"I told you, I could pay for some of it," Chad said reassuringly.

Sonny shook her head. "This is my family, not yours. I could never ask you to do that. We've been over this."

Chad nodded sadly. They _had_ been over it, many times. But Chad just couldn't give up. He tried everything to get Sonny to stay. He even spoke to the casting director of the movie, but they were set on Sonny. There was no getting out of it, and he knew that. He just had to accept that Sonny was leaving.

He glanced at the large black suitcase again. "Are you sure you'll only need one suitcase?" He sat down next to it and began absentmindedly playing with the zipper. He wondered what would happen if one of Sonny's suitcase mysteriously went missing. Would she have to stay because she didn't have enough room for her things?

"I have two more at home filled. This should be the last," she muttered, holding two bottles of lotion in her hands and trying to decide which one to take. Eventually she just threw both in.

Chad read the labels. "Pineapple and Coconut? Those are very tropical. You _do_ realize you're going to _New Zealand_, right?"

Sonny laughed. "I've always wanted to go somewhere tropical, like the Bahamas or something. The smell of pineapples and coconuts brings me there, in my mind. It sounds stupid, I know."

"Just a bit," Chad joked. Sonny poked her tongue out at her boyfriend.

Suddenly, the door flew open and an exasperated _So Random!_ cast stormed in.

"Sonny!" they exclaimed in excitement. A chorus of, "We were so worried that we'd missed you," and "Is it true? Are you really leaving?" rang throughout the group.

Tawni's eyes narrowed her eyes at Chad. She wasn't too fond of him after he'd created a new nickname for her: 'Barbie.'

Sonny answered their questions one at a time, and soon everyone was hugging Sonny.

"Guys, I can't breathe!" she choked out. Everyone took a step back and apologized.

"I just can't believe it," Grady said. "Of all the people to leave, we though it'd be Tawni."

"Hey!" Tawni said, offended.

Nico said, "Well, Sonny, the show really is gonna stink now that you're leaving."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure the replacement will be great," Sonny said to add some optimism to the conversation. "Don't worry about me, guys. I'll be coming back during the holidays. It'll be great."

Even though Sonny tried to act excited about filming a movie in New Zealand, she was still heartbroken about leaving her best friends and Chad behind. She'd be on her own for months, except her mom, of course. Although the movie would help financially and would boost her career (which was also the last thing on her mind), a part of her still wanted to stay and forget all about the stupid movie.

Sonny zipped up her suitcase and set it on the floor. "Well, I guess this is it. I'm leaving tonight. This is the last time I'll see you guys in a while, I guess."

That was when the tears she had tried holding back finally escaping and poured down her face like a waterfall.

She looked through the blur of her tears at each of their faces.

Nico, so cheerful and sweet. She'd miss his sense of humour and his elaborate ways to get girls.

Grady, so kind and considerate. She'd miss his warm heart the most.

Zora, so crazy and wonderful. She'd miss her intensity and creepiness.

And Tawni, so conceited but thoughtful at the same time. She really did care for Tawni, and she'd miss the way she flipped her hair and the smell of her Cocoa Mocho Cocoa lipstick (which she would secretly steal sometimes, but shhh!)

Sonny ran up and hugged each and every one of them, crying the whole time, and as she left her dressing room for the last time, she said, "I love you guys. So much."

Then the door closed behind her.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Chad carried that damned suitcase through the airport doors, scrunching his nose at the smell of excruciating body odour and floor wax. Sonny led the way, holding two travel bags, and Sonny's mother followed behind, towing the two other suitcases. (Chad had tried to convince her to let him carry them, but she insisted).

"_Flight Two-Oh-Six to New Zealand, Gate C, will depart in ten minutes. Passengers are asked to be on the plane in five. Thank-you,"_ the nasally voice over the intercom announced.

"Well, that's us," Sonny's mother said. "Gate C is right over there." She glanced between Chad and Sonny, then said, "I'll meet you there, hun."

Sonny nodded sadly, and as soon as she was gone, Chad and Sonny collided. His face nuzzled into her neck and he kissed it softly. She felt a tear run down her neck where his face was, and it sunk into the fabric of her shirt.

Chad Dylan Cooper was crying. "Don't leave me, please, Sonny. I can't do this without you. I need you," he whispered.

Sonny's stomach twisted and she choked back more tears. She just wanted to run out of the airport and never look back, but she knew she couldn't.

They pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. His were like melting sapphire, flowing down his cheeks. He touched her cheek with his hand and leaned down to kiss her, knowing it was the last for a long, long time.

Her lips were so soft and warm, and he pulled her closer. Her tears fell down her cheeks and wet their lips.

"_Flight Two-Oh-Six will be leaving shortly. Passengers are asked to board immediately. Thank-you."_

The two broke apart, gazing into each other's eyes one last time.

"I love you," he said softly, wiping a tear from her eye gently.

"I love you too, so much," she replied, pulling him into an embrace.

It was time to go, and she knew it. Reluctantly, she left his arms and stepped away, towards Gate C.

Chad couldn't stand this. She was walking away, and he wouldn't see her again for what seemed like an eternity. At the last second, he took her hand. She looked back, shook her head, and gently pulled it away.

"Goodbye, Chad," she said. She silently mouthed the words "I love you" again, and walked through the doors of Gate C.

And with those last few steps she took, Chad's world crashed. Everything he loved, everything he truly and deeply cared for, had left on a plane to fly half-way around the world.

"Come back," he pleaded to himself. "Please." But the doors shut and were locked tight, and it was too late.

Sonny Munroe was gone.

"_I'm leavin', never lookin' back again."_

_-Jesse McCartney_


	2. Ground Level

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter. I'm glad everyone likes it so far. _

_My new thing now is to update for every ten reviews on a chapter. The last chapter got ten, so I'm updating. I'm hoping this system will work out better than just updating whenever I feel like it, haha._

_**Random Advice of the Day**__**: Wish my sister happy birthday, ahaha, she's turning fourteen and she's really excited. **_

**Disclaimer:**

"_Oh, hey Sterling, how are you?_

"_Hey, Emily, I just came over to say that you will never own Sonny with a Chance, or me, ever in this lifetime."_

"_Oh…can I still write stories based on your character?"_

"_Sure."_

"_Excellent."_

* * *

_**Five Thousand Feet Above Ground Level,**_

_**Somewhere Over the Pacific Ocean,**_

_**Sits Sonny Munroe.**_

Sonny Munroe gazed out the airplane window and breathed a deep sigh. Although the swirling blue of the Atlantic Ocean made her queasy and twitchy, the sparkling water looked so calm and serene from five thousand feet up. That fact didn't make her escape the harsh reality, though, that she _was_ five thousand feet above the watery vortex of death they called an ocean. Her stomach twisted and squeezed, because Sonny Munroe was afraid of heights.

It didn't matter how many times she had flown back to Wisconsin for holidays or special occasions, she still was petrified of looking down. Of course, she never admitted that to anyone before, which was why when her mother insisted she had the window seat, she couldn't say no.

Suddenly, she heard her phone vibrate in her travel bag. She knew she wasn't supposed to have it turned on while on the plane, but she always needed her phone, just in case.

She dug in her bag until she found the slick black cellular device. Her heart tugged when she read who the text was from.

She almost burst into tears right there. They had only been flying for about an hour or so, and she tried so hard to keep him out of her mind. Before she clicked to read it, she looked out of the window again. This time, her mind wasn't filled with thoughts of how the plane would explode and she'd fall to her immediate death, no. She was looking down at what she was leaving behind, and now her stomach was doing flips, and not "I'm About to Vomit" flips. They were agony flips; heartbreak.

She glanced back at her phone, and just as she was about to press _Read_, her mother spoke up.

"You don't need to read it," she said quietly, closing her magazine.

Sonny looked at her mom in amazement. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Her mother took the phone from her hands and stared at her daughter. "You're hurting, hun. And I hate seeing you like this. This trip is breaking your heart, and I can see it. Mother's Instinct."

Sonny forced a timid smile and played with her hands. "I miss him, mom."

Connie wrapped an arm around Sonny and squeezed. "I know, but you'll see him soon. This month will be over in a jiffy, just wait."

Sonny nodded, and Connie handed her phone back to her daughter. Sonny glanced up with big eyes and said, "I'm still reading it."

Her mom laughed and turned back to her magazine. Sonny clicked the dreaded button and read the words that appeared on the screen.

_Hey._

Sonny giggled and shook her head in amusement.

_Hey_, she responded.

Within minutes, her phone shook, alerting Sonny of another message.

_How're you holding out?_

Sonny quickly replied with a, _Well, I'm still alive. You?_

A young woman rolled a cart down the aisle of first class passengers, taking orders for food and beverages. As she passed the Munroes, Connie requested an ice water, and Sonny a Diet Coke.

Her phone vibrated again: _I miss you._

"Excuse me, miss," the woman said politely. Sonny looked up and realized the comment was directed at her. The woman handed her over the Coke, and then pointed to the cell phone. "Your cell phone isn't allowed to be on during flight."

Sonny looked from her phone to the stewardess. "Can I just respond really quickly to this? It will only take a second."

The lady shook her head and said, "The cell phone signals correspond with the plane's database. I'm sorry, but you'll have to shut it off."

Sonny looked at the text and nodded sadly, holding down the _End_ button, thus shutting off the phone.

"Thank you, miss."

* * *

_**1056 Hollywood Blvd,**_

_**Los Angeles, California,**_

_**Sits Chad Dylan Cooper.**_

"Come on, come on, come on, come on," Chad mumbled to himself. He was seated in his living room couch, holding his cell phone anxiously in his hands as his legs bounced up and down impatiently.

"What are you so worked up about?" His father asked as he sat down next to him.

Chad turned rigid, stuffed his phone back in his pocket, and replied, "I'm not 'worked up.' Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't get 'worked up.'"

He absentmindedly picked up a magazine and flipped through it without actually reading the words on the page.

His dad rolled his eyes. "It's because Sonny's gone, isn't it?"

Chad forced a laugh. "Yeah right," he said. "I can do just fine without Sonny Munroe."

As he flipped through the magazine, he landed on a two-page poster of Sonny, and he inwardly cursed, throwing down the magazine violently.

His dad patted him on the back. "It's okay to miss her, son."

Chad hated being vulnerable, especially in front of his family. His dad was the only one who truly understood him, but still, Chad could never talk to anyone about his _feelings_.

Chad stood up and made his way to the door. "For your information, _Dad_," he said forcefully. "I don't miss Sonny. I can call her whenever I want, text her even. It's not a big deal, let it go."

As he said this, he reminded himself of the text he just sent her, and how she never responded. He pulled out his phone and checked for the twenty-third time to see if he got a response. Nothing.

Did she even miss him at all?

"Chad, your pride can't override your feelings when it comes to love," his father said.

"What are you, a walking fortune cookie?"

His dad laughed and said, "No matter what you say to convince me, Chad, I know you miss her. The more you deny it the more it's true, because I know you better than that, and I know that you really did like her. Nothing is going to change that."

His father stood up, dusted the lint from his neatly pressed pants, and left the room.

_Damn him_, Chad thought. _Thinks he's smarter than me, yeah right._

With this, Chad made his way to his bedroom and threw himself on his cashmere blankets.

Of course, he didn't sleep at all.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

The next morning, Chad was woken up by his phone buzzing insistently next to him. He opened his eyes groggily and blinked to regain his focus. Then he snapped into reality.

His hand shot up and he grabbed his phone and fumbled around until the text message opened.

_Sorry, the lady told me to turn off my phone when I was about to respond. We're in some place I can't even pronounce, but we'll be in NZ in a few more hours. P.S. I miss you too._

Chad smiled and replied.

_Don't have too much fun without me._

He looked at the clock: six-thirty. He had to get up now anyway, so he made his way to the shower and turned the water as hot as it could go, burning his skin. But he liked it, and he stood under the shower head for what seemed like hours, just letting the fiery water run down his back.

Work was going to suck ass without her.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Morning, Chad."

"Hey, Chad."

"Sup, Cooper."

Normally, Chad just wouldn't respond to these purely because he was too cool to. But now, he just didn't want to see anyone. He didn't want to be here.

As he passed by all of these people, heading to the _Mackenzie Falls_ set, he passed by one miserable Tawni Hart.

Her hair wasn't as bouncy and her lips weren't as shiny (not that he noticed her lips or anything). She just wasn't herself, and to cheer Chad up a bit, he decided to greet her.

"Barbie."

That name still cracked him up, but Tawni wouldn't have any of that. Not today.

"Stuff it, Cooper," she replied bitterly, sauntering past him. Chad smirked, realizing that one little reaction had cheered him up quite a bit. But he walked by a _So Random!_ poster and his mood just went right down again. Two construction workers were tearing it down, making room for the new poster with a picture of the girl who was to replace Sonny.

Chad ran his hands through his sandy blonde hair and cursed. He hated this.

"Good morning, sunshine!" A peppy voice said cheerfully beside him.

Chad's head whipped around when he heard the word "sunshine," but instead of seeing Sonny, like he was hoping to, he saw a bouncy brunette grinning next to him.

"Hi, Portlyn," he replied sombrely.

"Oh, sorry to _disappoint_ you," she said, placing her recently moisturized hands on her hips and wearing a frown on her face.

"Whatever," Chad muttered. He advanced towards the breakfast table and grabbed a donut off a silver platter.

"What's your problem this morning? Someone's got their knickers in a knot," she said.

Chad went to take a bite of his donut, but upon hearing this, he brought it away from his mouth and said, "What kind of saying is that?"

"I heard it on the comedy network. I thought it was funny. I think I'm going to use it for my _So Random!_ sketch today. It's really cool, we're doing--"

Again, as Chad went to take a bite from his glazed piece of heaven, he lowered it and furrowed his eyebrows. "_So Random!_ sketch?"

Portlyn nodded eagerly. "I was asked to be in one of their sketches as a guest star. It's weird, I know, but I took it anyway. I think it'll be fun."

Chad relaxed his brows and went to bite his donut once again, not caring to hear more about _So Random!_.

"So, why are your knickers in a knot, Chad?"

For the third time, Chad lowered his food and said, "Will you stop saying that?! It's stupid. Go away and let me eat my donut in peace!"

Portlyn took a step back. "Jesus, Chad. I know Sonny's gone, but you don't need to--"

"Shut up! I am perfectly fine with Sonny leaving. It's not the end of the world," he said angrily. He didn't notice how his hand was clenched so tight that the donut was beginning to look very un-donut-like.

Of course, he was lying straight to her face. No, let me rephrase that. He was _acting_. Not lying. His world wasn't worth living now that Sonny was gone, but he would never admit that to anyone.

_Your pride can't override your feelings when it comes to love._ His father's voice echoed in the back of his mind, and he put the donut down, placing his head in his hands.

"Oh, who am I kidding, Portlyn? It _is_ the end of the world! _My_ world. She just left me, left everything. She's in a place she can't even pronounce, and I feel so useless now that she's gone."

Portlyn rubbed soothing circles on his back and said, "I know, just let it all out, it's okay."

He looked into Portlyn's emerald eyes and said, "But she's gone."

He said it with such strength and poise that Portlyn was momentarily startled. But she waited for him to continue.

"She's gone, and I have to accept it. Just one month. I can do it. I'm Chad Dylan Cooper for Christ's sake! I'm the heart breaker, not the one with the broken heart." He inhaled deeply, straightened his posture and said, "I can do this."

With that, he picked up a fresh donut, nodded emotionlessly at Portlyn and walked away.

Portlyn shook her head as she gazed at his retreating figure.

"Poor guy," she said to herself. "He's dying on the inside."

* * *

"_It's never too late,_

_Get up and start all over again…"_

_-Hedley_


	3. Moving On

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm so happy everyone like this story, and I wanted to dedicate this chapter to a very special reviewer:_

**have-a-cookie**

_Because her reviews always make my day. :P_

WARNING: _There are hints at some Tawni/Grady going on. As for the Tawni/Chad thing, well, I'll let you use your own imagination for that._

_**Random Advice of the Day: **__Review :)_

**Disclaimer: **_I own a lot of things, and Sonny with a Chance isn't one of them._

* * *

Tawni Hart applied a third coat of mascara to her already voluminous lashes, grinning at herself in her dressing room mirror. Of course, there was still that trace of guilt in her stunning eyes as she enjoyed her reflection.

The gang, ever since Sonny had left for New Zealand, wasn't acting themselves. It was perfectly natural, but Tawni found it a waste of time to brood over something that couldn't be changed. So what if she wanted to get on with her life?

She understood that at first the gang would be upset about their friend leaving, but it's also natural to get over it and move on. She knew Sonny wouldn't be back, but it wasn't like she'd run into a corner and cut her wrists about it.

So, that night, Tawni Hart was going out. As soon as work was over, a car would pick her up and take her to this new club downtown; the best place to dance your worries away. (Not that Tawni Hart had any).

Liking what she saw in the glass mirror, she stood up and made her way to the Prop Room, where the rest of the cast said they would be. Of course, she needed their opinions before she went out in public. Although, she already knew she looked gorgeous in her sparkly Caribbean blue halter dress. It matched her eyes. And she couldn't forget her two-inch (she _would _be dancing) white Jimmy Choos, with earrings to match. She knew the dress accented every curve and the shoes made her look mature; she just enjoyed compliments from other people, rather than herself. It flattered her more.

"Hey, guys," she said as she entered the Prop Room. She noticed the gross smell of cheese pizza, but easily dismissed it. Nico and Grady were preoccupied with whatever video game they were playing, but that didn't interest Tawni. She needed their attention.

She coughed loudly and Nico glanced at her. "Hey, Tawn," he said quickly, resuming his game.

She crossed her arms and stuck her perfectly glossed bottom lip out in a pout.

Grady turned, upon hearing Nico greet Tawni, and his mouth dropped open.

"That's what I like to see," Tawni said proudly. Grady put the game controller down, ignoring protests from Nico on finishing the game.

"Tawni, y-you…" he started.

"Yes?" she prompted. She put her hands on her hips and held her chin high.

"You're gorgeous," he finally choked out.

"I know," she smiled. "I'm going out tonight, so I needed you opinions on my dress. Not that I already know how great it is."

"Going out?" Grady snapped out of his trance immediately. "Like, on a date?"

Tawni, at first, wondered why he was so interested on where she was going, but it didn't matter. Instead of questioning it, she replied, "No, my cousins are here. I'm going out dancing with them tonight. I wish it were a date though." She pouted and then shrugged. "Oh well, I guess no one has good taste in women these days."

Grady inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, have fun."

Tawni smiled. "Thanks. Bye guys."

Nico and Grady waved good-bye as Tawni sauntered out of the room.

As soon as the door he was sure Tawni was gone, Nico instantly whipped around to face Grady and scowled. "Why can't you just tell her you like her already?"

Grady leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. "She wouldn't like a guy like me, man. She has high standards. She doesn't even give me a second glance, dude. She's way out of my league."

Nico shrugged. "Yeah, she is."

Grady punched him in the arm and muttered, "Thanks for the support."

Nico laughed. "Dude, let's just get back to the game."

And so they did, and Grady soon drowned out any thoughts of his dream girl by means of animated violence and a cold cheese pizza.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"It just isn't the same without you here," Chad Dylan Cooper mumbled into his phone. He was leaning against the wall with the expanded photo of the _So Random! _cast, occasionally glancing up at Sonny's picture with sad eyes.

"I know, Chad," Sonny replied. "But you'll get used to it; you're going to have to, just like I have to get used to you not being here with me. I miss our petty bickering."

Chad laughed. "Well, good."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

They both laughed into the phone, and as Chad was about to say something, a pretty blonde in a blue dress strolled by. Normally, Chad would have stopped whatever he were doing to flirt with a blonde like that, but Sonny was his world now, and he was glad that he had changed for the better. Plus, it seemed to be the snotty Random that Sonny was apparently friends with.

"One second, Sonny," he said into the phone before pulling it away from his ear. "Barbie?"

Tawni turned her head to see Chad leaning against the wall. "Will you stop calling me that?" She asked angrily, stopping and crossing her arms.

"Where are you going?" he asked, completely ignoring her previous statement.

Tawni scrunched her nose. "Why would you want to know?"

"I'm just wondering," he replied with a shrug. "You look fancy."

Tawni smirked. "A good fancy?" she urged.

"I guess so," Chad mumbled. "But you never answered my question."

"Oh," she said. "I'm just going dancing. I needed to get away, have some fun."

"Oh, that's….cool."

"Chad, don't you have someone on the phone?" Tawni asked, pointing the device he now held to his chest.

"Oh, right." He brought the phone back to his ear and said, "Sonny? Sorry about tha--"

But by then, Tawni had already plucked the phone from his fingers and thrust it to her ear.

"Sonny!" she exclaimed happily.

"Tawni?" Sonny asked incredulously. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is! Found any hot New Zealand guys yet?"

With an angry glare from Chad, Tawni quickly changed the subject. "I mean…how are you?"

Sonny laughed. "I've been great. I miss work a lot, and you guys. What about you?"

Tawni and Sonny talked for a few more minutes, until Chad Dylan Cooper impatiently tapped his foot against the floor.

"Sorry, Sonny, I have to go. Chad's being a diva." She winked at him and poked her tongue out. Chad glowered.

"Okay, Tawn. It was great talking to you again. And between you and me," Sonny's voice got quieter. "I _have_ found some hot New Zealand guys. Don't tell Chad."

Tawni giggled and said, "Okay. See you in a month, Sonny!"

She handed the phone back to Chad and began walking away when she felt an hand grip her arm. Chad looked in her eyes and mouthed a, "Wait."

Tawni nodded, mostly out of curiosity.

"Well, I have to go, Sonny. I'm going dancing with Tawni." He winked and poked his tongue at her, repeating her earlier actions. Tawni's eyes narrowed.

"Um, okay, bye Chad. I love you," she said, confused and slightly taken aback.

"Yep, love you too. Bye."

Chad slid his phone back in his pocket and smirked. Tawni looked him up and down, scratching her chin.

"Not like that, you won't," she said.

"Excuse me?" he asked, stepping back as Tawni stepped forward.

"There's no way you're going dancing with me looking like that," she answered, loosening his _Mackenzie Falls_ tie and throwing it to the ground.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "I look just fine. Chad Dylan Cooper always does." He popped his collar proudly while Tawni scoffed.

"If you want to come, that jacket, that tie-" she pointed to the crumpled tie lying on the floor. "-and these buttons-" she undid the top buttons of his white collared shirt, "-must go."

Chad reluctantly shook off his jacket and handed it to her. Tawni folded it over her arm and looked over her piece of work.

"Good, but one more thing," she added. She ruffled his hair, stepped back, and smiled. "Perfect."

Chad's eyes flamed. "You did _not_ just mess up my hair," he said, clenching his fists and grinding his teeth.

"Oh, I did," she said. "You hair was too stiff and perfect. Usually I don't have a problem with perfect. Duh, I have to live with it everyday. But if you're going to go dancing, especially with me, you need to look the part."

Chad was still glaring at Tawni and she gripped his hand and dragged him to the car that was waiting outside for them.

* * *

"_We're gonna have some fun, _

_Party all night long, _

_No matter what…"_

_-Toya_


	4. The Queen of Harts

_Author's Note: Hi!_

_So, just to clear some things up, because I know some of you are freaking out over this Tawni/Chad situation: _**They're just friends.**

_Chad just wanted a night on the town, and Tawni was there to help. Nothing is going on with them. Instead, I am more working towards Grady/Tawni, so people, calm down. I am Channy all the way, 100%._

***This is also ****REALLY IMPORTANT TO READ****: I just don't get why some people can subscribe to my story, but not review? I mean, I get that some of you may not have the time to write a full-out, detailed review, but some little pieces of feedback would be really nice. I promised to update every 10 reviews, and the sad thing is that I got a lot of subscribers but not even 10 reviews! I just decided to update because some people couldn't wait. Haha.**

**Anyway, please, just take some time to tell me what you think. I need to know if I'm doing things right.**

_**Random Advice of the Day:**__Don't run across a just-mopped floor to try to get to your mother to tell her about your FanFiction plot. You'll slip and fall._

**Disclaimer: **_I own not. Except for the cousins. _

* * *

**2:00 pm (19 Hours Ahead of Los Angeles)**

**Universal Branch Studio,**

**Auckland, New Zealand.**

"Chad? Chad?" Sonny pleaded into her phone. She shook her head and pressed 'End.'

"What happened?" Connie asked cautiously.

Sonny shrugged and stared out of the window of the car. They were on their way to the branch studio for Universal, so Sonny could meet her co-stars and director. It was her first real day in New Zealand, and it wasn't going too well. First, she didn't get any sleep, because she did most of her sleeping on the plane. Then, as she was climbing into the taxi to take her to Universal, she stepped in a puddle, in her favourite outfit, and had to go back up to her suite and change. And her lunch was disgusting. New Zealand food just wasn't the same as American.

Then her boyfriend ditched her for her best friend. So far, this trip to New Zealand wasn't working out how she had planned.

"Come on," her mom urged, responding her Sonny's emotionless shrug. "What did he say?"

"Nothing, mom!" she snapped. Her eyes burned with frustration and her palms were sweaty. She felt so useless. She couldn't do anything from half-way around the world. But what could she do, even if she were there?

Nothing, she knew, because if she were there, her boyfriend and her best friend wouldn't be going out to dance right now.

She glanced at her mom, seeing the hurt in her eyes. "I'm sorry, mom," she said slowly. "It's just…I'm frustrated. I miss him a lot, and now he's out dancing with Tawni…I just wish I could be there."

Her mother put an arm around her daughter and kissed her head. "Everything will be fine, Sonny. He loves you very much, and I don't think anything can change that."

The car slowed to a stop in front a cement building, and the driver opened the door for the Munroes.

"Here we are, ladies."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**8:35 pm**

**Hollywood, California**

"Why did you even want to come with me tonight, Chad?" Tawni asked curiously as they sat in the car on their way to the club.

Chad ran his hand through his golden hair and sighed. "I just needed to get away, have some fun. It's hard to even just survive the day without Sonny here." He shook his head. "I don't know how I managed before she came," he added to himself.

Tawni nodded understandingly and looked out the window. "We're almost there," she said quietly. Then she turned to Chad and smiled. "You're going to have a great time, Chad. Trust me."

And surprisingly, he did trust her. He didn't know why, but he began to think that him and Tawni were starting to become, dare he say it, _friends._

The car came to a halt and the chauffer opened the door. Tawni climbed out first ("Ladies first, Chad.") and clutched her Prada bag tightly. Chad emerged next, and was surprised to find paparazzi swarming the place.

"Chad! How do you feel now that Sonny's gone?"

"Mr. Cooper! How do you feel about long distance relationships?"

"Chad Dylan Cooper, what are you doing here with Tawni Hart? Are you and Munroe over?"

Chad drowned out all of the questions and he covered his face from the flashing cameras. Tawni, however, was embracing the popularity.

"No, no, Chad and I are just friends; I can assure you of that."

"No, I'm just taking him out to blow off some steam."

"Nah, he and Sonny are perfectly fine and in love, don't worry about it."

"My dress? Aw, thank you!"

It was odd for Chad to ignore the press, but he didn't want to answer any questions about Sonny. He wanted to get in there and have some fun. He wanted to forget all about her tonight.

"Tawni!" he called. He was waiting at the door for her, leaning against the brick wall while the techno-colour lights of the club flashed from inside. He'd much rather prefer those lights than the bright white lights from the cameras that were closing in on him.

Suddenly, a man with a scraggly beard and a camera around his neck jumped in front of him, and if Chad hadn't been leaning against the wall, he would've flown back in surprise.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, one question please," he pleaded.

Chad rolled his eyes. "If I answer yours then I'll have to answer the rest of theirs." He gestured toward the swarms of people with cameras surrounding he and Tawni like moths to a light.

The bearded man shrugged and flashed him a toothless smile. "One quick question."

Chad crossed his arms and sighed impatiently. "What?"

"How do you feel now that the Sonny Munroe has left you behind to go around the world without you?"

Chad scowled and gritted his teeth. "No comment."

At this time, Tawni bounced up next to Chad and said, "Come on, let's go!"

The two approached the bouncer, who was a large burly man of about six foot seven.

"I.D.s," he commanded. Chad looked frantically at Tawni.

"You didn't say this was a twenty-one and over club!" he said, momentarily panicked.

Tawni threw her head back and laughed, patting Chad on the shoulder. "Oh, Chad. Poor, naïve little Chad Dylan Cooper." She clicked her tongue and turned to the bouncer, smiling charmingly at him and handing him two cards. The man looked them over and handed them back to Tawni.

"Go ahead." He opened the large door for them, and the two teens entered the raging club.

Lights of every colour flashed vibrantly in all directions as fast-paced music pumped through the air. The strong beats pounded within Chad's chest, and people were every where; dancing, doing shots, and just having a grand time.

"I can't believe you just snuck us into a club," he shouted at Tawni.

Tawni shrugged. "Tonight's about having fun, right? This place defines fun."

"You've been here before?" he hollered above the deafening music.

She turned to him and winked. "Maybe. Come on." She took hold of his hand and dragged him to the back of the club. There sat a large red couch and about four or five swivelling chairs of different colours.

On the couch sat two people. One girl and one guy, who seemed to recognize Tawni, but not him.

That was weird. This place was teeming with paparazzi, and he thought once he got inside the girls would be all over him. He may have changed because of Sonny, but that didn't mean he wasn't still Chad Dylan Cooper, hottest actor in the world.

"Tawn!" The girl exclaimed excitedly as she hugged her. She wasn't bad looking; short brown hair with bright green eyes and a fit figure. Chad wondered how she knew Tawni.

The boy stood up and kissed Tawni on the cheek. "Hey, Tawni. Nice seeing you again," he said. He looked like a male version of the girl; brown hair and green eyes; and he was pretty attractive. Of course, he wasn't as handsome as Chad.

Tawni clapped her hands together and said, "Guys, this is my friend Chad. He's going to be hanging with us tonight, if that's alright."

Instead of screaming and asked for autographs, the two nodded, and the guy stuck out his hand. "I'm Cale Alexander, Tawni's cousin, and this is my sister, Abigail."

"Just call me Abby. Nice to meet you," she said politely, holding out her hand. Chad shook both and greeted them.

"Chad _Dylan Cooper," _he prompted, hoping for some kind of reaction. But Abby and Cale smiled and nodded.

"We know," replied Cale.

"Well, we'd better get to our room," Tawni said.

"Room?" Chad inquired.

The three people laughed in unison, and immediately Chad felt out of place. It wasn't like him to feel uncomfortable in these kinds of situations, but he thought it was because Sonny had left, and that resulted in him feeling a lot more vulnerable than usual.

"You didn't think we'd stay in this hell hole, did you?" Tawni asked seriously.

Chad shrugged, not seeing what was wrong with it. The place seemed great; great enough for Chad Dylan Cooper himself. So when Tawni said they were going somewhere else, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Tawni led the way, with Abby following close behind. Cale patted Chad on the shoulder and nodded his head to follow them.

The group travelled up a winding staircase and down a carpeted hall. The music was still pounding, but less so where Chad didn't feel it as much in his chest anymore. He followed Abby, Cale, and Tawni to a secluded room down the hall, labelled _The Queen of Harts._

But _Harts_ was spelled like Tawni's last name.

In fact, Barbie slid out a card and scanned it across a motion sensor next to the door knob.

"_Tawni Hart, Access Granted_," the machine said monotonously.

Chad stared in amazement. Of course, he'd seen stuff like this before. In fact, he had one in his house for his bedroom, and for a lounge he bought at an underage club once. This made him think: Did Tawni Hart own this room?

They entered the room, and Chad's eyes grew in awe.

This lounge had twice as many couches and chairs at the downstairs club did. The rug was techno-coloured polka-dots, and the walls were decorated in pictures of Tawni.

He had gotten his answer.

"Tawni, do you own this?" Chad asked anyway, sitting comfortably on one of the lounge chairs.

The three looked at one another and began laughing again.

"Chad, I think you underestimate me. I didn't sneak you into this club, although that would have been cool. But my father owns this. The passes I showed Rudy at the door were my V.I.P. pass and a guest pass."

Just as Chad was about to reply, a big man (not as big as Rudy, though,) entered the room with a toothy grin plastered on his perfectly chiselled face.

"Daddy!" Tawni shouted. She bounced up and gave her dad a hug before introducing Chad.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, my, my, my. We have celebrities at this club all the time, but this is the first I've seen you here." He held out his large hand in greeting, and Chad shook it stiffly.

"Still with that Munroe girl?" his booming voice asked casually. "Isn't she in New Zealand, filming that movie of hers?"

"Yes, and yes, sir."

"My, my," Mr. Hart shook his head. "Looks like you'll need a few drinks." He winked, (that's where Tawni got it from), and snapped his fingers.

"Enjoy," he said. He nodded his heads at Tawni's cousins. "Abby, Cale, we'll catch up later, I'm sure."

"Bye, Daddy! Thanks," Tawni said happily.

"Bye, Princess. Have fun."

A skinny man in dressy clothes advanced towards the group with a platter of small glasses filled with clear liquid. Chad gulped.

Shots.

"Your dad lets you drink?" Chad asked nervously. He didn't want to be laughed at again, and he braced himself.

But instead of a full out laugh, like before, Tawni just giggled.

"Not all the time, but he knows about Sonny leaving, so he thought we'd like a fun night to ourselves. Drinks are free, have as much as you like, just don't die. The bathrooms over there-" she pointed across the room to a doorway in the corner, "—you'll need it. Now just let go and have fun, Cooper. Just don't tell the press," she winked.

* * *

"_The cheapest stuff is all I need,_

_To get me back on my feet again…"_

_-Kiss_


	5. Deserved

_Author's Note: WOW. This is by far the longest chapter I have ever written! After I was done, I looked at the page count and realized it was nine full pages! Haha._

_I just want to thank a few people before we get on with the rest of that jazz:_

_**Miyako Mizuki**_

_**have-a-cookie**_

_**ichel.x**_

_**0TwistedAngel0**_

_**awesometastic9**_

_**sonneycentral**_

_**Bhavana331**_

_Thank you all so much for your awesome reviews! I appreciate every review, of course. These ones just stood out to me. Thank you!_

_**Random Advice of the Day**__**: **__Just keep being your awesome selves! _

**Disclaimer: **_This owning thing….what is it?_

*This chapter contains scenes of course language. Reader discretion is strongly advised.*

_

* * *

_

Tawni Hart didn't drink often. In fact, she mostly only visited her father's club to dance and have fun. She was usually very responsible when it came to drinking, and for some reason, she thought Chad would be too.

He held the small glass in his trembling hand, staring at the clear liquid apprehensively.

"Chad?" Tawni tested, placing her manicured hand on his shoulder. "Have you ever drank before?"

Chad forced a laugh. "What?" he exaggerated. "Of course I have. Chad Dylan Cooper knows how to have fun."

"Then prove it," Cale said cockily, shooting back a glass of the raw liquid. He was showing Chad up, and Chad noticed.

Well, no one tried to show Chad Dylan Cooper up and won. His skin shivered as he looked at the alcohol, and then he hesitantly chugged it back. The sting of the liquor burned his throat, but the warm, tingly feeling his felt in his chest felt fantastic.

He breathed a sigh and ran his hands through his hair.

"Chad, is this your first time drinking? Answer honestly this time." Barbie looked at him with sincere eyes and her lips turned up into a comforting smile. "It's okay if it is. You don't need to be the bad boy all the time."

She playfully nudged Chad and winked. He didn't need to answer her. Tawni already knew. And with that little nudge and encouraging smile, he knew right then and there that he and Tawni would become good friends.

His blue eyes scanned the room and fell upon a large, bedazzled switch in the middle of the wall across from him. He pointed to it.

"What does that do?"

Tawni jumped up instantly and exclaimed, "I almost forgot!"

She strode over to the switch and flicked it, causing one of the coolest things Chad has ever seen to occur (and Chad has seen some pretty cool things in his life.)

The room went black and rainbow beams streamed down from all directions. Music filled the air while a white fog creeped the floor, reaching up only to about Chad's ankles. He stared in wonder.

"Wow, Barbie, you've really outdone yourself," Chad said over the blaring music.

Cale laughed and sat down next to Chad. "Barbie. That's funny, and accurate."

Tawni huffed and gulped back a shot. "Woo!" she breathed happily, content with the flaming sensation running down her throat. "Let's dance!"

She grabbed Abby's hand and the two girls strutted over to the dance floor in the middle of the room, which was illuminated by swirling spotlights.

"I don't really dance," Cale said to Chad, trying to make small talk.

"Me neither," Chad concurred. "When Tawni told me she was going out dancing, I just wanted to come along to get out. Not actually dance."

Cale laughed.

Chad added, "And you'd think, me being Chad Dylan Cooper, that I'm good at everything."

Cale rolled his eyes. "So, you really are who they say in the magazines."

Chad looked at him quizzically. "What?"

Cale shook his head. "Listen, man. Everyone has a weakness. Yours just happens to be dancing. It's okay to admit what you're not very good at. I can't dance either, but we're here now, and there're drinks. So let's toast."

Chad watched as Cale picked up two shot glasses and handed one to Chad. "Here's to...weaknesses, because everybody has them."

"And here's to love, because just when you think it's going great, it kicks you in the ass."

"Amen to that, brother."

The two shot back the cold, hard alcohol in high spirits.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Like I said before, Tawni Hart always drank responsibly, and she had hoped that Chad would too. She had hoped that Chad would have taken a few shots and enjoyed the buzz. But instead, the next morning, Chad Dylan Cooper awoke in a shirt that was way too big for him and lying in a hot pink queen-sized bed.

"Where am I?" he muttered to himself, rubbing his head and wincing at his sore throat. It felt like his brain was pounding against his skull, trying to get out. His eyes were groggy as he tried to sit up.

"You're in my bed," a peppy voice sounded.

Chad's eyes focused to see who was talking to him.

"Barbie? Why am I in--"

Suddenly, his head swirled with all of the answers to his own question, and he started to panic. He remembered the night before vaguely, only recalling bright lights, music, and…shots.

"Oh God!" he cried. "Tawni, did we…do anything?" he asked cautiously, afraid of the answer.

Tawni burst into laughter. "Are you crazy? Of course not! What kind of girl do you think I am?"

Chad's head was pounding, and he rested it gently against the soft feathered pillow.

"Good," he mumbled. He would have hated himself if he did anything stupid last night. "But how did I get here in the first place?"

Tawni sighed. "You don't remember anything, do you?" Chad shook his head. "Well, you had a few, well, I shouldn't say a few, drinks with my cousin. The next thing I know you're puking up a storm in the bathroom. You completely ruined your shirt, not that it wasn't ruined anyway, because come on, it was made of the worst material. You'd think _Mackenzie Falls_ would be able to afford real cotton--"

"Barbie, get to the point," Chad muttered impatiently.

"Fine, fine. We snuck you out the back and brought you to my house. We tried calling your parents but no one answered--"

"They're in Taiwan," interrupted Chad.

"Don't care. Anyway, they didn't pick up so you stayed here. We got you changed into one of my dad's shirts, and yours is in the wash. But, enough talking. Get up!"

She pulled the covers off of a very hung-over Chad Dylan Cooper and he shuddered.

"Jesus, it's cold," he said. He stood up reluctantly and followed Tawni out of the room, down some stairs (it took him a while, but with Tawni's help he got to the bottom alive), and into her very furnished kitchen. A beautiful blonde middle-aged woman was flipping eggs in a frying pan, but when she heard the two enter, she whipped around.

"Well, good morning, sleepy-head!" she said cheerfully…and loudly.

"Mom, be a little quieter, will you?" Tawni said, silently pointing to Chad and widening her eyes.

"Oh, right, sorry honey."

Tawni told Chad to have a seat, so he sat at the family's dining table. In front of him were two extra-strength Advils and a glass of water, which he quickly gulped back, appreciating the cold liquid on his scorching throat.

Her mother sauntered over to the table with a plate of eggs and toast for him and a grin painted on her flawless face. He could see where Tawni got her looks from.

"Thanks," he mumbled almost inaudibly.

Her overly-perky mom replied, "Oh, it was my pleasure. I just can't believe _the_ Chad Dylan Cooper is in _my_ kitchen."

Chad flashed a cocky grin and almost said, "Yeah, you should feel pretty honoured." But he decided against it. His head hurt just breathing.

"Mom," Tawni warned. "Don't feed his ego by saying stuff like that in front of him. His head's big enough."

Chad glared at Tawni. "My head is _not_ big! It's perfect." He winced at the pain in his throat when he spoke. He hoped the Advil started working soon.

Tawni rolled her eyes. "See what I mean?" Her mom laughed.

"It's so sad, you know," Mrs. Hart breathed. "About your girlfriend leaving. Tragic, really."

Her blue eyes, much like Tawni's, scrutinized every inch of Chad's body, and it made him kind of uncomfortable as he searched for a response.

He caught Tawni dragging her fingers across her throat to her mom, gesturing to shut up about Sonny. Chad almost laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry again," her mom apologized, tapping Chad's hand quickly. "I just need to learn when to stop talking. Tawni's trying to teach me."

Tawni glanced knowingly at Chad, and just as he was about to ask why she was looking at him that way, Tawni said, "I should probably teach Chad too. God knows when he's wasted he'll say anything."

Chad's eyes grew wide and he said, "What are you talking about?"

Tawni smirked. "I brought you with me last night so you could take your mind off of Sonny, but as soon as you choked back that sixth shot, you couldn't stop talking about her. Sonny this; Sonny that."

Chad groaned.

"But don't worry," Tawni added. "Once you passed out you were quiet."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's reassuring, thank you."

Suddenly Mrs. Hart stood up. "Well, you two had better get going. I called the studio and told them you'd be late; they said it wasn't a problem. Apparently you're just reading over scripts or something." She shrugged and took Chad's plate away before he could have the first bite, not that he was hungry anyway. His head hurt too much.

"The car's waiting outside," her mom finished. As Tawni and Chad stood up, her mom added, "Oh, and Chad?"

She pulled out a shirt and a jacket in _Mackenzie Falls_ blue and handed it to him, neatly folded and pressed.

"You might want to change first," she winked.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**5:00 am,**

**Hilton Hotel,**

**Auckland, New Zealand.**

"Hello, you've reached Tawni Hart. Leave a message if you're important," the perky voice of Sonny's friend said on the other end of the phone.

Sonny sighed and listened for the shrill beep.

"Hey, Tawni, it's Sonny. It's, uh, five in the morning here. I couldn't sleep. I tried getting a hold of you, but I guess you're busy. Um…I just wanted to know how your night with Chad went, so uh, if you could get back to me, that'd be…cool. Um, alright, well that's about it. I'll talk to you later, I guess. Bye."

Sonny flipped her phone shut and sighed sadly. She threw the covers off of the hotel bed and made her way to the balcony. She was thankful Universal had paid for accommodations because the main reason Sonny was even here was because of money.

She attempted sliding the balcony door open quietly, and her mother stirred across the room. Sonny froze, not wanting to wake her mom. When Connie relaxed again, Sonny slipped through the door and out into the cool New Zealand air.

She looked up at the stars and inhaled deeply, crossing her arms to fight off the chilly night wind.

She wondered what Chad was doing right now…

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**10:00 am,**

**Condor Studios; Stage 3 {**_**Mackenzie Falls**_**}**

**Hollywood, California.**

Chad Dylan Cooper wandered through the halls of Condor Studios, flipping over his script and scanning the pages with his bright blue eyes. The headache he had endured that morning was still in effect, despite the amount of Advil he popped back.

As he sauntered down the carpeted halls, he suddenly heard voices coming from the room before him. Usually he would just forget about it; they were just voices, after all. They weren't talking to him.

But he recognized this voice, and he didn't like it at all.

He peered around the doorframe and his breath caught in his throat. No, it couldn't be.

He's _back_?

The brown-haired, muscular boy turned his head and emerald irritably caught sapphire; whatever conversation was taking place between _him_ and whoever was with _him_ had ended as soon as he saw Chad.

"Well, well, well," Pearce Connery said arrogantly. "Chad Dylan Cooper, it's nice seeing you again. What a pleasant surprise."

Chad shook his head. _You've got to be kidding me_, he thought to himself.

But, instead of satisfying his tightly clenched fists, he breathed calmly and resumed his walk.

"Ignoring me, are you?" Pearce's voice echoed from behind him. "I guess that's expected. I mean, I _did_ ship your lively little girlfriend half-way around the world."

With this, Chad whipped around, his eyes burning. His heart pumped swiftly within his chest and he bit his lip furiously.

"Say that again?" Chad demanded.

Pearce, by now, had caught up to Chad and was only standing a few feet away. He shrugged and replied, "You can't tell me she doesn't have talent."

Chad's eyes narrowed. "Of course she does." Chad was confused. He didn't know what Pearce was getting at, but he waited for him to respond before he did anything rash.

Pearce smirked. "She was bigger than this, _Chad_."

"Just tell me what the fuck you're getting at!" Chad hissed.

"I stole her audition tape and sent it to Universal. I knew they were doing a movie; I thought she'd do great. I did her a favour, Chad."

Chad was in an inner battle. He could've either beat the shit out of Pearce right there and then, or he could have stayed put and gotten answers. He chose the latter; he'd beat the asshole later.

"It was _you_?" Chad asked between clenched teeth.

Pearce nodded happily.

"It was _you_ that night?" Chad asked, mainly to himself, but Pearce must have heard it, because he said:

"Oh, that was _you_? The night with the storm and the darkness, and the sneaking around. Right, right, I _do_ recall something like that, yes." Pearce tapped his finger to his chin and then glared at Chad.

"You were the creepy figure outside of Mr. Condor's office!" Chad exclaimed, the reality of the situation kicking in. "What were you doing there?"

"What do you think, moron? I was stealing a copy of her audition. It's not like they would just hand it over if I asked politely. I had to get it somehow," Pearce answered with a cocky grin.

Chad wanted to tear that grin right off Pearce's stupid face and slap him with it.

All of a sudden, something dawned on the _Mackenzie Falls_ star.

"You weren't doing her a favour!" Chad growled. "You did it because you wanted her gone! You don't care about her; you never did."

Pearce scratched his chin. "That's true," he said, now circling around Chad. Pearce loved the power he held over this guy; it made him feel like he could do anything. Not many people truly got to the core of the famous _Chad Dylan Cooper_. Ugh, that name made him puke.

"Why would you want to do that? If you didn't care about her, why would you help her?" Chad inquired, following Pearce's circling movements carefully with his eyes.

Pearce chuckled evilly. "I don't think of it as helping her. I think of it as helping me. How else could I get you back for what you did?"

Chad's heart skipped a beat and his fists itched to make contact with Pearce's jaw.

"Get back at me!?" Chad roared. "I did _nothing_ to you!"

"That's a God damn _lie_!" Pearce punched the wall next to him and his eyes bore into Chad's with all the intensity and rage he could muster. "You ruined everything for me! When the studio heard about our stupid fight, they called every other studio to tell them about me! Now no one will even let me _audition_! You ruined my career! You destroyed any chance I had!"

Pearce was flaring up; his cheeks burned red and his fists were closed so tight that his fingers hurt.

Pearce's voice got so low, even Chad almost didn't catch when he said, "Not to mention Portlyn won't even talk to me."

Chad shook his head. "I may have done that to you, but you stole my girlfriend from me. Then made out her best friend! Should I also mention that you knocked up _my_ best friend and then disappeared? Or how about the fact that, to top things off, you sent the only person I truly ever loved around the world from me! You deserved everything you got, you bastard! Karma's a fucking bitch."

"You would know," Pearce spat. "Everyone knows you're the biggest asshole in Hollywood. Ever thought that _you_ deserved everything that _you_ got?"

Chad was about to retaliate when he realized that Pearce had a point. For as long as he could remember, he had been a bastard to everyone. But that was until he met Sonny. That's when Chad realized that some people could be born bad, but can fix their actions, while others embrace it, and drink up any chance at revenge they can. People like Pearce Connery, for example, who didn't have a moral bone in his perfectly chiselled body.

"People can change, Pearce," Chad said.

Pearce rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, don't try that shit with me. This conversation is over, Chad. The bottom line is that your girlfriend's gone, and she isn't coming back until that stupid movie is done. That's what you get when you mess with Pearce Connery."

Chad threw his hands in the air. "Okay, Pearce, I'll leave. But before I do, I just want you to know something."

Pearce raised an eyebrow.

Chad gritted his teeth. "You brought everything that happened to you on yourself. If you hadn't stolen Sonny from me, then broken her heart, we wouldn't have gotten into that fight, and you could still have a career ahead of you. If you hadn't left Portlyn after you fucked her, you could be happily awaiting a child right now and she would be talking to you. You did this to yourself, man. At least I still have Sonny, whether she's around the world or not. You, Pearce, have no one."

With that, Chad winked at his rival, turned his back, and left Pearce Connery to drown in his thoughts.

* * *

"_You get what you get, _

_You get what you deserve…"_

_-Cartel_


	6. With a Chance of Cloudy Skyes

_Author's Note: WOW. I got so overwhelmed with updates for the last chapter, I had to start on this chapter right away! I promised I'd update every 10 reviews, and I got 14 for "Chapter 5: Deserved." So thank you so much, and here is your next chapter, dedicated to __**Miyako Mizuki**__._

_**Random Advice of the Day: **__When you go to hold a person's hand, don't creep up like a spider. It may scare them._

**Disclaimer: **_This thing, called owning, yeah, not my forte._

* * *

Tawni Hart entered the Prop House later that morning, feeling fresh and pretty. Her night last night was entertaining as all hell and, despite Chad's reckless behaviour and his killer hangover as a result, Tawni woke up with a clear head and a new outfit to look forward to.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted happily as she arrived. "I trust you will notice something different about me."

She spun around in a complete circle, displaying her silky red halter top with dark blue jeans and silver heels. Her glittering diamond earrings reflected the light vividly and she dangled her charm bracelet from her wrist.

"New hair?" Nico suggested with a shrug.

"You got taller?" Zora's voice echoed from the vent.

Tawni huffed and pouted. "No, guys, it's a--"

"New outfit," Grady stated proudly, tossing a piece of chocolate in his mouth.

Tawni's eyes shot towards Grady and her flawlessly glossed lips turned up into a smile. "Yes, Grady, how did you--"

"I just did," Grady said. Then he muttered, "I always notice what you wear."

Nico nudged him and winked. "Go for it, dude," he whispered encouragingly.

Grady sighed and stood up. "Tawni, listen, I need to tell you something."

Tawni, who had just pulled out a nail file when Grady said this, looked at him quizzically. "What?" she demanded.

"Well, I've known for a while now, and, um," Grady choked back his embarrassment issues and continued. "I've always--"

Suddenly, as if by some cruel prank, Tawni's phone went off.

She held her manicured finger up and said, "Hold that thought."

She looked at the screen and her mouth twisted into a confused expression. Oh, how Grady loved that mouth…

"That's weird," she said. "Sonny left a voicemail. I guess I didn't hear it go off." She looked at the others and said, "We'll talk later, Grady. I'm going to call Sonny back. See you in rehearsal!"

She waved and strutted out of the Prop Room, looking at her phone's screen.

Grady turned to Nico, a look of pure frustration painted on his face. "So close," he mumbled.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tawni sauntered down the _So Random!_ hall, listening to Sonny's message:

"_Hey, Tawni, it's Sonny. It's, uh, five in the morning here. I couldn't sleep. I tried getting a hold of you, but I guess you're busy. Um…I just wanted to know how your night with Chad went, so uh, if you could get back to me, that'd be…cool. Um, alright, well that's about it. I'll talk to you later, I guess. Bye."_

She sounded so sad on the phone that Tawni had to feel bad. She instantly regretted taking Chad out; she didn't know Sonny would be this upset. Even if she didn't sound distressed in her message, Tawni knew people; Sonny especially.

She knew that Sonny was in New Zealand, probably sulking, wondering how Tawni and Chad's night went, and wishing she could have been there.

Tawni was about to call Sonny when she collided with a tall, blonde-haired drama king.

"Chad, watch where I'm going!" she said irritably.

"Watch where _you're_ going? Watch where _I'm_—Barbie!!" he said, now realizing it was Tawni he had bumped into.

Tawni looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"I was looking for you," he answered. "Listen," his tone went serious then and he took Tawni by the shoulder and pulled her close to him. "Don't tell the other Randoms, but Pearce is back."

"_WHAT?!_" Tawni shrieked.

"Shut up, Barbie! Listen!" He pulled her close again and covered her mouth with his hand to get her to stop talking. "Now—Ew! Did you just lick me?"

He yanked his hand away and looked disgustingly at the shimmering saliva on his skin, not knowing what to do.

Tawni crossed her arms. "Well, don't cover my mouth with that disgusting hand of yours. It's rude. Lesson learned."

"Gross." He reached out his hand and wiped it on the back of Tawni's new shirt.

"You did not," she hissed.

"Oh, I did," Chad smirked. "Now, where were we?"

He laughed quietly as Tawni tried to look at the back of her shirt…unsuccessfully.

"Tawni, calm down. You comedians just don't know how to be serious. That's why there are real actors, like those of _Mackenzie Falls_, you know--"

This time, Tawni placed her hand over his mouth and smirked. Unfortunately for Tawni, she soon felt a wet _thing_ slide across her palm, and she immediately pulled it away.

"Did you just lick me?"

"Yes! Now let's move past this and get to the point! Pearce is here; I don't know why, but he is. _He's_ the one who sent Sonny away!"

Tawni stopped wiping her hand on Chad's coat long enough to stare at him in shock.

"What do you mean? Didn't she get an offer from Universal? How could he have interfered with that?"

Chad ran his hand through his soft golden hair. "He sent the tape in!"

"What tape?" Tawni inquired.

"Gah! Really, Barbie? Really?"

Tawni shrugged.

"Her audition tape for _Mackenzie Falls_!" he practically shouted. He wasn't a very patient person, and after his run in with Pearce, his patience was running low.

After many minutes of explaining the situation to Tawni, she finally understood. She pounded her fist into her hand and her eyes glazed over with anger.

"Okay, now what?" she asked, ready to kick some ass.

"What do you mean?"

"You have a plan to get her back, don't you?" She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, when really Chad hadn't even thought that far. He just planned on telling Tawni and going from there.

"Um, no," he replied shyly.

Tawni groaned. "Sometimes, you are just such a waste of air, it's ridiculous." She rolled her eyes and started down the hall, on her way to Mr. Condor.

"Hey! I resent that!" Chad called, quickly following after her.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Well, Miss Montgomery, the producers and cast of _Mackenzie Falls_ officially welcome you into our humble family," the new producer of the teen drama, Robert White, said.

Robert was only a producer for the show for a week or two, after Gerard Henderson was brutally let go. Mr. Condor and Robert had been friends for years, and when he called Robert to ask to fill the position as the show's new producer, of course he had to accept.

Little did he know that as soon as he walked into his new occupation, he'd have to go through casting calls right away to find a new love interest for Mackenzie. That was when _she_ showed up.

Olivia Skye Montgomery was that year's hottest actress. She had perfectly styled caramel blonde locks, which she wore differently every day. Her steely blue eyes bore intensity and sincerity, and her perfect figure was never over-looked. Her pink lips were always perfectly covered in watermelon lip gloss and she never failed to hypnotize everyone she met with her charming, bitchy, yet addictive personality.

"Thanks, Mr. White," she said with a breath-taking smile.

"Please," Robert said, shaking the teen's hand. "Call me Bob."

"Well, then, thank you, Bob," the girl replied happily. She waved a goodbye to the show's producer and went to explore the new surroundings.

"Hey, you must be the new girl," a preppy blonde in a tacky _Mackenzie Falls_ uniform said, bouncing up to her. "I'm Portlyn."

Olivia gasped. "You're the girl I'm replacing. Oh, how sad." She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout and started to move on.

"Um, wait!" Portlyn called. "What's your name?"

Olivia stopped and her azure eyes scanned over the ex-_Mackenzie Falls_ co-star. She didn't like what she saw; Portlyn's hair was curled unprofessionally, and she had bags underneath her emerald eyes. As Portlyn stuck her hand out, Olivia noticed that her French manicure was chipped off her first four fingers, and her skin was dry.

"Olivia Skye Montgomery," Olivia said reluctantly, not choosing to take the brunettes hand.

"Olivia Skye Montgomery?" Portlyn said incredulously, placing her hand down when she realized Olivia wasn't going to shake it. "Oh my God! You were on that teen bachelor show last year. That's where I remember you from! I was so happy when you won!"

Olivia placed her hands on her perfect hips and pursed her lips. "Really now?"

Portlyn nodded enthusiastically. Olivia wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, "Let's talk."

Just as Portlyn was about to go on about last year's season of _Teen Bachelor_, two rushed blondes whizzed past them. It looked like Tawni and Chad.

"You are so dense sometimes, Chad!" Tawni complained as she passed.

"Yeah, like you're one to talk!" Chad rebutted, still following in Tawni's wake.

Portlyn rolled her eyes, and then turned to Olivia when Olivia said, "Whoa, who was _that_?"

"Oh," Portlyn breathed. "That was Tawni Hart. She performs over on _So Random!_, the comedy show over at Stage Two."

"No, no, I don't care about the ditzy blonde girl. I was asking about the boy," Olivia said dryly, her blue eyes chasing after Chad.

"Oh, him? That's Chad Dylan Cooper. I thought you would have known already, since you were voted hottest teen actress and he was voted hottest teen actor and all."

"Yeah, well, unfortunately, the first prize is a photo shoot, and not a date with the other winner," Olivia mumbled, mostly to herself. Portlyn heard it and bit her lip.

"You know he's got a girlfriend, right?"

Olivia snickered. "Well, that just makes the game a whole lot more interesting, doesn't it?"

* * *

"_Let's play a love game…."_

_-Lady GaGa_


	7. Home Run

_Author's Note: Hey hey hey! I'm so happy I've been getting ten reviews so quickly! So now, as a challenge, I am bumping it up to fifteen. I will update as soon as I get fifteen reviews!!! I want to see how fast it will take, haha._

**_Random Advice of the Day: _**If you're baking cookies, DO NOT confuse the sugar for salt. Your cookies will not taste like cookies.

**Disclaimer:** **_If I had a clever way to express my not owning of things, I would say it. But I don't, so I'll just tell you I don't own Sonny with a Chance._**

_*There is a lot of switching up of perspectives in this chapter.*_

_*Also, all questions will be answered next chapter, if you have any.*_

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I just cannot take back what's been done, no matter who did it or how they managed to," Mr. Condor sadly confessed to his miserable employees. "Sonny's going to have to stay in New Zealand until the contract releases her."

Chad and Tawni both heaved a depressing sigh. They had tried their best, but it seemed like their good luck had run out. It didn't matter if Pearce sent her away or not; she signed a contract, and there is no backing out of a contract as big as a movie deal—Chad would know.

"Thanks anyway, sir," Chad said in response. He turned to Tawni. "Well, I guess we'll be seeing her at Christmas."

Tawni nodded sadly and the two left the room, constantly staring at the floor beneath them.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Tawni looked at Chad. "Well, I guess I'd better head back to my set. We should be rehearsing soon."

Chad nodded, and Tawni waved and left, leaving Chad to wander the halls for a few more minutes until his rehearsal began. He kicked a waded up piece of paper with every step he took down the hallway, always looking to the floor. He missed Sonny so much, and every attempt at getting her home was rejected.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and found himself thinking about Christmas, and how, when he saw Sonny, he'd make it the best Christmas she ever had. He instantly started to think of potential gifts he could get her---

_Oomph!_

"Oh, gosh, I am _so_ _so_ sorry! I didn't see you there," a smooth, angelic voice said.

"Whatever," Chad mumbled without glancing up, resuming his paper kickball.

"You're Chad Dylan Cooper!"

Chad looked up to see a very pretty-faced girl, about his age, with shimmering blue eyes that looked like deeps pools of clear water. Her blonde hair fell neatly on either sides of her neck, and when she casually flipped it, he noticed a star-shaped birthmark at the base of her neck.

When he resumed contact with her eyes, he said, "Uh, yeah, that's me."

"Wow," she said excitedly. "I'm so happy to be working with you!"

Chad froze. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I'm going to be replacing that _dreary_ Poland girl," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Her name's Portlyn," Chad growled. "And she's my best friend."

"Oh," the girl snickered. "Well, we can change that, can't we? I'm Olivia Skye Montgomery. It's nice to finally meet you."

Her smile was stunning, of course, because it flashed a set of brilliantly perfect teeth. Chad also couldn't help but notice the way her _Mackenzie Falls_ uniform accented her every curve, which it didn't do for a lot of people.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, listen, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I have things to do, so if you'd _move_--"

Olivia sighed. "Okay, listen," she grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "I know, we didn't get off to a very good start, but I have huge plans for this show. For _us_."

"Us?" Chad demanded.

"Well, obviously, the two hottest teen actors in the world should date. It's only natural--"

"Whoa, whoa, slow your roll there, princess. I don't know where you came from, but I don't--"

Chad was then rudely interrupted by his cellular device trying to get his attention from his pocket. He yanked it out and read the caller I.D., which then resulted in him flipping it open in a hurry.

"Hey, baby, how are you?" he said cheerfully into the phone.

"'Baby?'" Sonny repeated. "You never call me 'baby.'"

"Yes, well, I'm just happy to hear from you. You are my _girlfriend_, after all." He narrowed his eyes at Olivia and pointed to his phone, trying to tell her the obvious.

"Oh, it's your girlfriend?" Olivia whispered.

Chad nodded. "Uh-huh, I miss you too," he said into the phone.

All of a sudden, the phone was snatched from his grasp and Olivia thrust it to her ear.

"Hi, who is this?" she asked politely.

Chad was trying to get the phone back from her, but Olivia was just smacking and pushing him away.

"Sonny, huh?" she said. "Well, I'm Olivia, and I think I should just let you know that now that you're…where did you say you were? New Zealand? Well, now that you're in New Zealand, I just thought I should tell you that Chad has no use for you anymore. He has me now."

Chad's mouth dropped open and Olivia smirked evilly. "Yeah, hold on, you can talk to him."

She passed the device back to the blonde-haired boy and winked. "She's all yours."

"Hello, Sonny? I swear, she's crazy. I don't know what she was talking about---"

"_You bastard_!" Sonny shouted into the phone. Then Chad heard the dial tone.

"Look what you did, you psycho!"

Olivia shrugged. "Don't worry about her, Chad. She wasn't worth it."

"You didn't even know her!" Chad hissed. Tears were welling up in his eyes, but he fought to hold them back.

Olivia stepped forward and leaned in close to Chad's ear. "I know all about you, Chad Dylan Cooper. You deserve someone much better." She pulled away and looked at him, and momentarily, Chad was sucked into the evil vortexes that were her bright blue eyes. "Someone like me," she finished with a whisper, before gently touching her lips to his.

"I'll see you around, Cooper," she said with a wink.

And with that, Olivia Skye Montgomery took over.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**7:00 am,**

**Hilton Hotel,**

**Auckland, New Zealand.**

Tears streamed down Sonny Munroe's face as she chucked her phone across her hotel suite. It felt like her heart was ripped from her chest and stomped on. She felt so useless all the way in New Zealand, like she was cut off from her life. She missed Tawni, Nico, Grady, and Zora.

She was about to include Chad, but she caught herself. She never wanted to talk to that back-stabbing, lying bastard again.

Upon hearing her daughter's cries, Connie Munroe emerged from the bathroom curiously. When she saw Sonny sobbing near the balcony doors, she immediately dropped her toothbrush and rushed over, wrapping a comforting arm around her.

"Oh, honey, what happened?" her mother cooed.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sonny mumbled. "I don't want to be here anymore, mom."

"Why?" her mother urged.

"I hate being around the world from them. I feel so alone here. I never even wanted to do the stupid movie in the first place. But, I have to."

"Sweetheart, no, no you don't," Connie replied, rubbing her daughter's back.

Sonny looked up with pleading eyes. "I need to, mum. We need the money…"

Connie shook her head. "We're fine where we are, Sonny. I don't care if we were the poorest people in the world; if my little Sonny is sad, I'd do anything to make her happy again."

Sonny laughed and shook her head, then looked at her mom with sad eyes. "Can I go home, mom?"

"Sure, sweetie. We can go home."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**8:35pm,**

**1056 Hollywood Blvd,**

**Los Angeles, California**

Chad Dylan Cooper sighed as he opened his front door, tossing his keys on the nearest table. He didn't care that he was completely soaked, top to bottom, from the pouring rain; he was exhausted from his long day of acting with stuck-up Olivia Skye Montgomery and then avoiding her during breaks. All day he had been trying to call Sonny back, but she wouldn't pick up. He'd left about a thousand text messages and voicemails, but she never responded.

With Olivia on his heels and Sonny ignoring him, Chad just wanted to go to sleep and forget about everything. He wanted to escape his bizarre reality and never wake up.

He made his way up the winding staircase slowly, dragging his feet. He ignored calls from his father in the other room as he slammed his bedroom door and collapsed on his King-sized bed. He curled up on the blankets, and this time, he didn't care how messy his hair got, or how wrinkled his clothes would be.

Chad Dylan Cooper just fell asleep.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**10pm,**

**3213 Oakwood Ave,**

**Los Angeles, California**

Tawni Hart was sprawled comfortably across her pink bed, completely enveloped in a magazine article about herself. So far, every picture of her and everything the author wrote was perfect and she found herself smiling. Life could be so great sometimes, couldn't it?

Her music played loudly in the background, and she completely tuned out the hard rain tapping against her window. She also almost tuned out the soft knock at the door. Almost.

"Yes?" Tawni sang, standing up and quickly checking her reflection in the full-length mirror. She opened the door to find her mom standing there with a large grin painted on her face.

"Honey, someone's at the door for you," her mom answered cheerfully.

Tawni glanced at the clock on the wall. It was ten o'clock on a Tuesday. Who could possibly be at the door?

She strutted down the stairs, making sure she looked pretty as she did so, and cautiously peered through the blurred window. All she saw was a very wet-looking figure with its head drooped and two bags in its hands.

Bags….it couldn't be.

Tawni threw open her front door and her eyes grew wide.

"Hey, Tawni," Sonny said.

* * *

"_I'm not gonna lie, _

_I've been a mess since you left,_

_I wanna get back_

_To the old days…"_

_-Demi Lovato_


	8. And This Is Where We Happy Dance

__

Author's Note: I am _**SO**__ sorry I didn't update sooner! But I was away on vacation for my birthday and the rest of the week and then when I got back yesterday my Internet was messed up and wouldn't cooperate. It just hates me sometimes…probably because I left my poor little green laptop at home for a week while I was relaxing on a beach without it._

_It's just so sensitive._

_**Random Advice of the Day: **__Don't leave your laptop at home by itself while you relax on a beach without it, as previously mentioned. It will hate you. Laptops are the most sensitive domestic machine._

**Disclaimer: This owning thing is new to me.**

_*Please review and tell me what you think is going to happen with Sonny's plan. I'm anxious to hear what your ideas are. *laughs maniacally*_

* * *

"Sonny!" Tawni shrieked, pulling her friend into a tight hug. "What are you doing here? Why are you back? You look wet! Come inside."

Sonny laughed as Tawni yanked her through the door. Sonny set her bags down, which created a puddle on the floor ("Don't worry about it," Tawni said.) She took off her squelching shoes and rung out her dripping hair.

"Stupid November rain," Sonny mumbled. As soon as Tawni hurriedly dressed Sonny in warm clothes, she led her to the Harts' living room.

"So, tell me _everything_. Don't leave anything out," Tawni requested urgently, clapping her hands together.

Sonny shrugged her shoulders, which were drowned in the large grey sweater Tawni had lent to her. She looked to her friend and realized how much she realized missed her, even if she was only gone for a few days

"Well, what do you want to know, Tawni?" Sonny shivered. Despite the layers of warm clothes, the rain must have gotten to her.

Tawni noticed this and sighed impatiently. "Hold on, I'll make you some cocoa," she mumbled. Sonny smiled appreciatively at her friend and wrapped her arms around herself to add more warmth.

When Tawni stood up and made her way to the kitchen, Sonny noticed something drop out of her pocket. She reached to the floor and picked up Tawni's cell phone. Sonny absentmindedly placed it next to her and tapped her fingers together patiently.

Suddenly, Tawni's phone vibrated. Sonny glanced at it then looked in the kitchen. Tawni was working busily at the stove, anxiously awaiting the water to boil. Sonny bit her lip, and curiosity took over. She just wanted to see who it was. It's not like she was going to read it, or anything…

Sonny snatched the phone from the couch and looked quickly at the screen.

**_New Message from_**

**Chad**

Sonny furrowed her brows.

_Don't read it, don't read it. It's none of your business._ The voice in her head said.

Sonny shook her head and put the phone down, folding her hands together.

_He's your boyfriend, no matter what he did. You haven't officially broken it off. If he's keeping secrets, this would be the best way to get answers._ The other, more diabolical voice rebutted.

Sonny looked in the kitchen, and Tawni was stirring two cups while humming cheerfully.

_Just one look. You know you want to._

Sonny caved. She grasped the phone in her hands and clicked, "_Read."_

_**Are you awake?**_

Sonny bit her lip and was about to press, "_Reply"_ when Tawni arrived with two steaming cups of liquid. Sonny threw the phone next to her and said, "You, uh, dropped your phone when you left."

"Oh, thanks," Tawni replied, handing one mug to Sonny. The heat felt good on Sonny's hands. "Now, start from the moment you stepped off the plane. Actually, no, start when you got on the plane, and go from there."

Sonny laughed, completely amazed about Tawni's sudden interest in her life. But she didn't object. Instead, she began her story.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"And then I boarded the plane to go home," Sonny muttered, taking the last sip of her hot drink.

"I can't believe you got yourself _fired!_" Tawni laughed. "That's so unlike you!"

Sonny laughed and shrugged, then Tawni leaned forward. "I don't say this very often, Sonny, but I'm s-so-s-sorry, about Chad and I. I didn't think you'd be so upset."

Sonny shook her head. "I knew you wouldn't do that to me…again--" Sonny lied; she didn't actually know if Tawni would or wouldn't. She just hoped. Tawni winced. But Sonny didn't want to get in a whole big fight about it. She was still a little iffy about the previous text message from Chad. "What I was upset about that girl named Olivia."

Tawni nodded. "I hear she's a crazy psycho bitch out to steal Chad."

Sonny frowned. "Yeah, she's doing a pretty good job so far."

Tawni's eyes widened. "What? No! Sonny!"

"I know, I know, but clearly she's not going to stop until she gets what she wants. And being away from him like I was just made me realize that he could find any other girl in a heartbeat."

Tawni tapped Sonny's arm. "You can't let her win. You love him," she said quietly.

"I know I do, but he's probably better off."

"Don't say that! You are funny, bright, Sonny Munroe who is deeply in love with Chad Dylan Cooper and Chad Dylan Cooper loves you back! No one cares about that stupid Olivia girl. She can hook up with that retarded Pearce Connery for all I care! You can't let something like this go!" Tawni protested.

"Ew, don't say that name," Sonny mumbled.

"What? Pearce? Crazy how _he_ was the one to send you away, huh? I personally didn't know he had it in him--"

"Wait, what?"

Tawni looked at her quizzically. "You didn't know?"

Sonny shook her head.

"Oh, well, apparently he came back. No one knows why, but he did, and he and Chad got into an argument about how Chad ruined Pearce's career or something." Tawni waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, yeah, he sent your audition tape to Universal to get revenge on Chad."

Sonny rolled her eyes. "That's so—wait a minute. Maybe there's a way to get Chad back to me, get Olivia away from him, and get revenge on Pearce all at the same time…" Sonny said happily. "Here's what we'll do."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

An hour later, the plan was set, and Tawni had fallen asleep on Sonny's shoulder from exhaustion. ("Too much thinking hurts my brain," Tawni complained.)

Sonny was reminiscing about the happy days with Chad, when all of this drama never happened, and she was excited to get back to the way things used to be.

All of a sudden, she heard a buzz from Tawni's phone. Tawni was still fast asleep on her shoulder, and without waking her up, Sonny manoeuvred her to grab the device.

_**New Message from**_

**Chad**

_**Hey, you there?**_

Sonny glanced at Tawni one more time, assuring herself she was knocked out, and hit, "_Reply._"

_Yes. Why?_

A few minutes later the phone buzzed again.

_**I can't get back to sleep. I keep thinking about her.**_

_Who?_

_**Who do you think?**_

_That Olivia girl?_

_**LOL who knew a Random could actually be funny. I was talking about Sonny.**_

_What about Sonny?_

_**I know it's late, but are you being dense on purpose?**_

Sonny rolled her eyes. Typical Chad. She missed him, but she didn't reply right away. Then the phone buzzed.

_**I miss her.**_

Sonny's stomach did flips. Remembering she was Tawni, she wrote:

_She misses you too._

_**How do you know? She won't even talk to me. She hates me.**_

_She doesn't hate you. She could never hate you._

_**How would you know?**_

Sonny bit her lip and smiled, feeling blood rush to her cheeks and butterflies swarm her stomach.

_I just do._

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

**7:03 am,**

**1056 Hollywood Blvd**

**Los Angeles, California.**

Chad Dylan Cooper's eyes fluttered open the next morning by the light shining through his clear glass window. He glanced at the clock and groaned, realizing he had only slept for a few hours. After his conversation with Tawni via text, he lied awake for hours, his eyes frozen open; glaring at the ceiling like it ate his convertible.

So when the sun brilliantly shone through his window that morning, he was at first happy to have slept for a bit, but then it dawned on him that he had to work, and in reaction, he violently slid his curtains shut and buried his face in his pillow.

_Stupid work._ Normally, Chad would have been out of bed and ready to leave by now, but that was when things were normal. That was when he actually enjoyed taking the fifteen minute drive to his perfectly air-conditioned studio and his wonderfully prepared Loganberry smoothies and the calming sounds of the meditation room. He looked forward to his flawlessly grilled steak and his sunny Sonny, always smiling and bright in the commissary.

But now, the studio was a little too cold. The Loganberry smoothies were a tad too lumpy. The meditation room was tense instead of relaxing. The steak wasn't as juicy as usual and the commissary felt empty and lonely even though it was always bustling with people.

What was the point?

Suddenly, he heard the muffled sounds of Justin Timberlake (who Chad had to also add to his wall, next to Zac), belting "I'm bringing sexy back!" Chad dug around for his phone and thrust it to his ear.

"What?" he muttered.

"You had better get to the studio," sang Tawni's cheery voice. "I have a surprise for you."

Chad groaned. "What kind of--" but he was interrupted by a dial tone.

He cursed under his breath and dragged himself out of his King-sized bed.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Seventeen and a half minutes later, Chad lazily pulled open the studio door. His hair was windblown, his eyes were groggy and dull, and he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. But at least his clothes were clean and pressed.

He had to look _somewhat_ decent. He was Chad Dylan Cooper.

As he was about to turn the corner, taking the long way to _Mackenzie Falls_, he heard two familiar voices.

"Okay, are you ready? I know this will turn out perfectly. Your plan is fool-proof," said Tawni.

"Yeah, I'm ready. I wonder how--"

But by then, Chad had completely tuned out. That thing in his chest started pounding uncontrollably and the back of his neck heated up. A tingle traveled down his spine as he recognized the second voice.

"Sonny," he whispered to himself.

_Okay, Chad, calm down. Don't freak out. Just breathe. Do you look good?_

He smoothed out his clothes and ran his hands through his hair. Without thinking, he slapped himself across the face. He mumbled a swear word, but noticed how his eyes were now alert and his senses were running wild. The slap woke him up and he kicked into high gear.

He poked his head around the corner and saw the back of the brunette's head. The two mumbled voices were low hums in the back of his head as he approached the back of the girl he'd missed so much.

His arms wrapped around her tiny waist and his lips hovered next to her ear.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," his husky voice whispered.

Sonny whipped around with a grin. "Chad!" she screeched happily, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight.

"Surprise!" Tawni cheered, waving her hands in the air.

Chad shut his eyes tight, completely embracing the feeling of Sonny in his arms again. His cheeks hurt from smiling and he felt as if he couldn't let go. God, he missed her.

When the reluctantly pulled apart, Chad's hands traveled to her shoulders and she looked into her warm brown eyes.

"What are you…how did you…why did you…AH!" He pulled her into another hug and Sonny laughed.

"It's a long story, but I've missed you too." She rolled her eyes, but was simply overjoyed to see him again, because no matter what he did while she was away, in the end everything would work out. She knew it would.

* * *

"_I'm so glad I found an angel,_

_Someone who was there when all my hopes fell,_

_I wanna fly looking in your eyes…"_

_-Jesse McCartney_


	9. Sweet, Sweet Revenge

_Author's Note: Sorry for not updating sooner. These people had to come in a fix the internet over and over and over again because it kept giving out. *cries*_

_But, you should still enjoy the chapter, even if it took forever to post. Haha._

_**Random Advice of the Day**__**: If your dogs just had puppies, don't leave them alone. She might sit on them.**_

**Disclaimer: I have nothing witty to say. Just that I don't own anything.**

* * *

"Are you ready?" Sonny asked Chad with an evil grin.

Chad placed a hand on his heart, surprise painting his face. "Of course I am! Chad Dylan Cooper is always--"

"No one cares," said Tawni impatiently. "We have a plan to…to…succeed in." She ended it as more of a question. Chad pouted at being interrupted and Sonny patted his shoulder in mock comfort.

"Now, Chad, your victim is--"

"_Victim_?"

"Yes!" Tawni exclaimed impatiently. "Now, she's around the corner, talking with the director. Remember your role and your destination. If you mess this up, I swear I'll--"

"Don't even worry about it," Chad waved off. "I'm a _professional_."

"Sonny?"

Sonny smiled. "Yes, Tawni, I know the plan. I _made_ it, if you recall."

Tawni nodded. "Right. Ready?"

The other two teens smirked mischievously, and Tawni took that as a yes.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"All I'm saying is that I should kiss Mackenzie somewhere in the episode. If I am to play his love interest, we should kiss! Isn't that, like, a given?" Olivia complained, waving her script angrily in front Robert White, the director.

"I get where you're coming from, Olivia, but--"

"Olivia!" Chad greeted, faking enthusiasm. He casually draped an arm around her and squeezed. Robert locked eyes with Chad and sent him a look of pure thanks, using this opportunity to slink away from the demanding drama queen.

With Robert gone, Chad whirled around, Olivia still under his arm.

"How's my favourite new co-star this fine afternoon?"

Olivia looked at him quizzically, but shook it off. Chad Dylan Cooper's arm was around her!

"I'm fantastic now that you're here," she cooed.

Chad wanted to barf. After what Olivia tried to do to him, he despised even having to look at her. But that was the price of being a famous actor; you didn't always like who you had to work with. What he was doing was for the sake of him and Sonny, even if he would rather star in a movie with…with…_Zac Efron_ then converse with Olivia.

Chad looked into her icy blue eyes and tapped her chin with his finger. "You're so _cute_."

Olivia couldn't believe what was happening, but as Chad led her down the hallway, she lost all suspicion and gazed into his sparkly ocean-like eyes.

"So, listen, I've been thinking, and I think you were right about that dull _So Random!_ girl in New Zealand…"

He glanced at Olivia and smiled. "Who needs her? I mean, you're ten, no, a thousand times hotter, and you are just the _definition_ of perfection, kind of like a female version of me."

Olivia subtly leaned in closer to him as they walked, soaking up his words.

"And I just thought that maybe you'd like to hook up sometime," he shrugged.

"Of course I would, Chad. That'd be great," she beamed. Her insides were screaming with joy. Her plan to steal Chad was working.

But that wasn't the only plan that was working.

"Great, great," Chad said. "And I thought, to kick this new relationship off, we'd…make it official."

They arrived at a single door in the middle of the hallway.

"What's this?" Olivia inquired, pointing to the wooden door.

"A closet," he winked.

Olivia waggled her eyebrows. "Oh, Chad, you bad boy."

Chad smirked and opened the door to the janitor's closet. "Ladies' first," he said, gesturing for her to step inside.

But as soon as she did, the door shut tight behind her.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Pearce Connery was turning the corner of the Condor Studios main hallway, about to leave the studio for the last time. He was on his way back home to Indiana, because he knew he acting career was completely destroyed. He hated Chad. Hated him.

All of a sudden he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and came face to face with none other than Sonny Munroe.

"Sonny?" he gasped.

Sonny grinned. "Hi, Pearce. Long time, no see."

Pearce nodded, completely astonished. He thought she was in New Zealand. He thought his plan for revenge against that stupid drama king was successful!

Damn it.

"Listen, I thought we could talk. Have a little chat."

Pearce looked from the _Exit_ sign to the brunette's kind face, unsure of which to choose. After a few seconds of debating, he reluctantly agreed to talk to her.

As they walked, Sonny asked, "So, how have you been?"

Pearce gulped. "Fine, just fine. And you?"

"Meh, been better. I was sent to New Zealand to do some movie," she shrugged. "Turned out it just wasn't my thing."

Pearce pulled at the collar of his blue pinstriped shirt nervously. "Yeah, yeah, I, uh, heard about that."

Sonny narrowed her eyes at the brown-haired, green-eyed douche bag.

"I heard something too. You sent my tape in?"

That was exactly what he was not looking forward to.

"Uh, no. No, I didn't. Psh, what? Of course I….didn't…"

Sonny took Pearce's hand and inconspicuously scrunched up her nose. She felt the sweat of his palm on her hand and wanted to desperately pull away. But the plan was going perfectly; she couldn't ruin it now.

"It's okay if you did," she said, forcing a smile. "Actually, I wanted to thank you."

They stopped in front of a single door in the middle of the hallway.

Pearce glanced at the girl. "What's this?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"I told you I wanted to thank you," she repeated with a seductive smile.

"Uh, right, sure, yeah."

Sonny opened the closet door and Pearce stepped inside.

"Who are you--"

Instantly, Chad appeared next to Sonny and assisted her in pushing Pearce inside the janitor's closet, shutting and locking the door. The two smiled at each other as Olivia and Pearce pounded angrily against it.

Chad turned to Sonny and threw his arm over her shoulder. "Well done, Munroe. I didn't know you could act."

"Same to you," she said, playfully punching him in the side. Chad flashed his signature smirk.

A thrilled Tawni Hart bounded up next to them with a walkie-talkie in hand.

"Now, Zora!" she shouted into it.

"Roger that," a creepy little voice echoed from the machine.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Zora hastily climbed through the vent of Condor Studios, on a mission. With the secret weapon in hand and an evil smile dancing on her lips, she slid and crawled and creeped through the long silvery tunnels, aware of every weak point and twist and turn it had in store. She knew these vents like the back of her hand.

She slowed her pace as she quietly climbed over the vent to Marshall's office, stopping when she heard a peculiar sound emanating from the room. She peeked through the vent bars and let out a small laugh, which echoed throughout the rectangular tunnels.

Marshall was prancing around his room, singing an improvised tune that Zora assumed was called, "_Sonny's Back, Hip Hip Horray!_"

She shook her head and continued with her assignment. She past a few more rooms before eagerly arriving at the vent above the janitor's closet in Hallway Three, the hall that conveniently connected Stage Three: _Mackenzie Falls_ and Stage Two:_ So Random_!

A spot that Tawni had told her to go to drop her famous Z-Bomb.

**Z -B-o-m-b [**_**zee-baw-uhm**_**]**

_-noun_

**A metal shell containing foul fumes; expels malodorous gas when pressurized**

_**Origin**_**: **_Zora Lancaster_

Zora sprawled out along the cold vent floor and tightly gripped her weapon in her hand. She watched through the bars as the closet door opened, shedding light from the hall into the room, and a fair-haired beauty stepped inside. Zora thought that must be Olivia as the door shut behind her. The girl started pounding on the door hysterically; Zora couldn't help but chuckle.

One down, one to go, she was told.

A few minutes later, the door was opened again and a boy's face emerged. He then was pushed inside and she could hear the clicking of the door locking.

_Wait for it, wait for it…_

"Now, Zora!"

She quickly retrieved her walkie-talkie from her belt and clicked the side button. "Roger that," she responded.

She hastily slid off the vent screen and looked down at the blonde and brunette heads of the two teens.

"Here we go," she muttered, dropping the spherical metal device onto the closet floor.

"What was that?" Blondie mumbled anxiously after hearing the metal connect with the concrete floor.

The boy looked around, to no avail, being as it was very dark in the isolated space.

"I don't know," he replied. "But…it smells."

The girl lifted her head to sniff the air and immediately covered her nose with her hand.

"Ew! Gross! Get us out of here!" she shouted.

Zora rubbed her hands together cheerfully. She gripped her walkie-talkie, placed it at her mouth, and said, "Mission accomplished."

* * *

"_You can talk all you want but my skin is really thick,_

_I'm the leader of the crowd and my game is really slick,_

_I'm unstoppable…"_

_-Kat DeLuna_


	10. Cross My Heart

_Author's Last Note: So, here it is: the epilogue to "Cross My Heart." I want to thank everyone so much for their support and dedication to this story I appreciated every single review and alert. You all helped this story take its shape and I couldn't thank you enough._

_**Last Random Advice**__: Always be true to yourselves and never give up hope. Things will always work themselves out somehow, you just need to have faith._

**Disclaimer:** _**I don't own Sonny with a Chance. Short and to the point so you can get on with the story**_.

_*Also, I don't mean to offend ANYONE in the chapter, just know that. :)*_

* * *

Sonny Munroe sauntered toward her dressing room, breathing a happy sigh. She had just received the news from an ecstatic Tawni who heard from a friend at _Mackenzie Falls_ who heard from a co-star who heard from the camera guy who heard from the director that Olivia Skye Montgomery had taken up on an offer in Austria to film a horror movie. It seemed fitting.

The producers of _Mackenzie Falls_ were also thinking of just nixing the idea of a love interest for Mackenzie; or they would take a different path and have Mackenzie confess that he was gay. Of course, Chad despised that idea and threw a hissy fit. The producers put that potential plot twist on the back burner….for now.

After the janitor unlocked the closet in Hallway Three, no one heard from Pearce Connery again. Rumour had it that he moved to Mexico and changed his name; but that seemed a little dramatic. But what isn't dramatic these days?

Sonny smiled as she swung open the dressing room door and glanced up to see Chad Dylan Cooper standing in the middle of the room. He pulled out a sunflower from behind his back and flashed his signature grin. Sonny blushed.

"There's my Sonshine," he said softly as she approached him. She gingerly wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him.

"Hello to you, too," she replied.

His blue eyes softened as his hands found her waist, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes and her heart raced when his lips brushed over hers, following her jaw line and landing at her ear. Sonny shivered and then jumped when she felt him bite her earlobe.

She hit his chest playfully, pushing him away. "You goof," she giggled. Chad shrugged and simply kissed her cheek.

Suddenly the door flew open and Tawni strolled in, a silly grin dancing on her lips.

"You will never guess what just happened," she cheered, quickly looking in the mirror before turning back to Sonny and Chad.

Sonny raised an eyebrow. "...Are you going to tell us?"

"Ugh, fine if you insist," she said with her perky laugh. "Grady just asked me out."

Sonny beamed, bouncing over to Tawni and jumping up and down in excitement. "Tawni! That's so exciting! I'm so happy for you!"

The two girls hopped around the room happily, squealing and dancing. Chad observed the scene before him and crossed his arms.

"I hope you were dancing around the room when _we_ started going out," he said with a smirk, resulting in Sonny conga-ing over to him and planting a kiss on his lips.

"Sure," she conceded.

"Well, I've got to get going," Tawni said. "I have to buy an outfit for my _date_." At the word 'date,' she giggled and blushed, rushing out the door.

Chad and Sonny flopped onto the couch and Chad draped an arm around her.

"Finally, some time _alone_," Chad said quietly, squeezing her tight.

Then Justin Timberlake sounded ("I'm bringing sexy back!"), and Chad looked sheepishly at Sonny.

"Just kidding," he said with a timid smile. He pressed the phone to his ear and answered.

"Hey, Portlyn….what? Yeah, hold on, I'll put you on speaker."

"Hey guys!" Portlyn's voice said on the other end as soon as Chad hit the Speaker button.

"Hey," the two teens said in unison.

"So, I called to tell you that I took a last minute trip back home to be with my family. I know, I feel really bad for not coming to say good-bye, but I'll be back after the baby's born and you can meet him or her."

Sonny clapped her hands together. "Oh, that's so exciting!" she exclaimed while Chad rolled his eyes. "I can't wait, Portlyn. And I'm really glad you're with your family now. Families are great supporters."

"Yeah, my mom was a little pissed at first, but she's been great after the information finally sunk in. And I'm really glad you guys are doing well. Tawni e-mailed me about the prank you pulled. I wish I could have been there."

Chad smiled. "Yeah, it was pretty great, wasn't it?"

Sonny smiled and was about to say something when Portlyn's voice spoke again.

"Listen, guys, I have to go. My mom's calling me. I have a doctor's appointment soon. I can't wait to see you! Talk to you later!"

"Bye, Port!" they both said before hearing the dial tone.

Chad slid the phone back in his pocket and the two resumed this position. Chad gently placed a kiss on top of his girlfriend's head and she took his hand in hers.

"Wanna know something, Munroe?"

Sonny glanced up and cocked an eyebrow curiously. Chad smirked.

"I think it's finally over."

"What is?" Sonny asked.

"All of the drama. I really, _really_ hope its smooth sailing from here," he replied with a genuine, hopeful smile.

Sonny grinned and squeezed his hand. "Yeah, I think it's about time we left the drama to _Mackenzie Falls_."

Chad ran his free hand through his golden hair. "…I also really hope they don't make me gay on the show. People talk, you know."

Sonny rolled her eyes and patted his chest comfortingly. "Don't worry; you're _all man_ to me."

Chad winked. "I know."

Sonny sunk into Chad's arms and sighed. This was the way she wanted things to be from then on. She wanted Tawni and Grady to be happy. She wanted Portlyn's baby to be healthy and amazing. She wanted her and Chad to be perfect.

It was a lot to ask, but when you have true faith in something, it never goes to waste.

So, as Chad Dylan Cooper cradled his girlfriend, Tawni Hart went from store to store happily, carrying bags and bags of items for her date.

Zora Lancaster travelled the vents, exploring new tunnels and openings without a care in the world.

Grady Mitchell nervously paced the room as Nico Harris spewed out expert dating advice (even if he wasn't as experienced as he claimed).

Portlyn Murray sat in the doctor's office as she received news of her healthy, growing child.

Olivia Skye Montgomery pursed her lips tightly as she was handed the script to her new horror film, _Love Kills_.

And Pearce Connery…well, Pearce Connery no longer existed and in his place stood Pedro Rodriguez, who owned a very successful chicken farm in the heart of Mexico City.

It was a new start, a new beginning to their lives, and as Chad whispered those three little words to the one he loved, he also whispered a promise. A promise that no matter what happened, things would never change.

Everything had its place in the world.

Everything was where it was supposed to be.

And they liked it that way.

They liked it just fine.

* * *

"_I hate to want to show you,_

_I will run to you 'til I_

_Can't stand on my own anymore I_

_Cross my heart,_

_And hope to die…"_

_-Marianas Trench_


End file.
